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The Post says that funding for a $200 million renovation of the National Mall was removed from President Obama's stimulus package Tuesday night during a House Rules Committee session. The move is a blow to D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and to groups like the National Coalition to Save Our Mall, who have been pushing hard for Mall repairs for the last several years. Mall advocates had been hoping the national spotlight on the Mall during Obama's inauguration ceremonies would shore up support for funding restoration work. Visitors to the Mall have long been disappointed to find dead grass, mud and cracked sidewalks around the splendor of the monuments and museums. Photo by mosley.brian
National Mall Money Stripped From Stimulus
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Visitors to the Mall have long been disappointed to find dead grass, mud and cracked sidewalks around the splendor of the monuments and museums.
Well, to be fair, the Mall is "the Nation's front yard" and, like most of America's front yards, it looks like $h!t. All it really needs is a '92 Camaro that's over 50% Bondo colored and up on cinderblocks, with Bumpernuts hanging from the rear fender. Put a statue of Cletus the Slackjawed Yokel next to it, blare Toby Keith from loudspeakers, and call it the Monument to the Unknown Redneck. Someone has to be buying all those Ford F-150s.
Sort of a shame; it would be nice if the mall was in better shape, but common Eleanor, $200 million? Really? All we really need are a few cement trucks and a landscaping crew.
Seriously. I was going to say the same thing. I'm pretty sure I know some guys from high school who could restore it for a few hundo.
You're forgetting the massive kickbacks; the multi-million-dollar no-bid contracts for dog glamour shots, pet aromatherapy, and "aura massages;" as well as the contributions to the Harriet Walters Memorial Cayman Island Offshore Holding Company and Brothel. These things don't come cheap!
200 mill buys a lot of grass. But hey, you can get sod and have it look lush by tomorrow! That still leaves enough funds to build a Starbucks in front of Air and Space and another in front of the National Gallery.
But I oppose that kind of expenditure because I think Merrill Lynch should have that corporate jet after all.
$200M for grass AND to make sure the Jefferson Memorial doesn't become and underwater exhibit.
I don't want to sound flippant, but has Eleanor Holmes Norton ever won a fight on the Hill?
She broke Ali's jaw back in '73. Does that count?
What kind of Mall doesn't have at least one Starbucks so that I can get my double shot triple low fat hazelnut mocha raspberry medium foam skim latte?
The National Mall sucks.
Let's just plant corn out there instead. We could have a maze in the autumn, and an ethanol distillery. Win-win if you ask me.
Forget corn, dude. We need to plant weed. Acres and acres of weed, man. I'm telling you, behind every good man there is a woman, and that woman was Martha Washington, man, and everyday George would come home, she would have a big fat bowl waiting for him, man, when he come in the door, man, she was a hip, hip, hip lady, man. Didja ever look at a dollar bill, man? There's some spooky shit goin' on there. And it's green too.
No. I demand CORN MAZE! You want bud? Cover the Washington Monument in that chia pet shit. But instead of sprouts, plant weed.
What's kind of pissed me off is that including this in the bill - then the Republican furor in response - have given the Mall project a "bridge to nowhere" feel. When the fact is, the state of the National Mall is a national disgrace. It needs a full gutting and re-landscaping. I'm no landscape architect, so I don't know how much that costs, but it should happen. And it will create work - and be used by all visitors.
Easy solution:
Rename the Mall:
The National Mall: Brought to you by Scott's
"Scotts lawn products, killing wetlands and mutating fish since 1945"
Sure fire way to get the Repubs to vote for the $200 mil: change the name from "The National Mall" to "The National Reagan." They'd just as soon eat a fistful of dog$h!t as vote against their savior.
Also, run "Death Valley Days" and "Hellcats of the Navy" (starring the sultry Nancy Davis) in perpetual loop on the Mall. Uh. I mean "The Reagan."
If Congress is intent on leaving the Mall a dustbowl, they should at least turn it into the National Dog Park. It sort of looks like one, with all of the bare ground and scrubby patches of dead grass here and there.
Then they'll just fight over the $50 million bill to provide shit baggies and tennis balls.
They could pave it and turn it into a parking lot. Think of the convenience!
I vote for Astroturf. The blue kind.
So we can host Boise State football games?
Any chance this could be put back in/remain in the senate version?
Admittedly I only skimmed this story, but I just don't see how Norton can raise $200 million stripping on the National Mall. Honey, you just don't have the body for it.
thank you. i just threw up in my mouth.
Oh I'm sorry. I just reread this and I was way off. I maintain, however, that Norton doesn't have the body for such an endevor. Never did either.
you get my vote for best comment of the morning...
geez, just set up a donation box next to the washington monument and put a sign "suggested donation 5$" for the mall repair fund. You'll have the money in 2 years. Get a bunch of Mexicans to do the work and it'll cost 1 million $.
First the ding on DC municipalities and their handling of poor weather; then the Mall Bill; now I'm just waiting for the DCist to write another stinging report on Obama. Wait a minute ...
Of course, just because it got stripped out of the stimulus bill doesn't necessarily mean that it won't happen. One of the things the GOP objected to is that it didn't have much to do with long-term stimulus.
Right, because if there's one thing Congress is known for it's effectiveness and ability to get things done. Don't hold your breath.
This recent resurgence in anti-pork sentiment sweeping he nation is really getting on my nerves. I'm certainly not saying that all that $200mil was gonna go to good use but its gotten to the point where any legislation that doesn't create some sort of instant gratification to the business or the public at large is getting stomped on. I guess the intrinsic value of having a decent place for the residents of the entire country (and world) come to together isn't as important as making sure Silverados and Corvettes are still rolling off the line.
Hell, even restoring the Mall in mythical DC will require jobs. People DO live and work here in places other than the White House.
You are right, but I bet the Republicans already see the DC area getting too large of a stimulus. And it is true, by spending this money will require additional federal workers to monitor and spend the funds and numerous contracts for contract administration and program support. Essentially DC is getting a huge White Collar stimulus package, its just that the blue collar sector has to wait till it filters down.
It's not really a resurgence in "anti-pork sentiment".. it's really more of a "cut taxes cut taxes cut taxes cut taxes" sentiment, and that crowd's attempt to find any kind of project to discredit the whole bill.
Oh come on...it would be much better to just cut everyone a check again! We could all use another big screen TV, amirite?
I'm glad this was taken out. I think it is extremely important to do, and should be included in the next regular budget. THIS IS NOT STIMULUS. Typical government thinking to load every funding bill with every pet project under the sun. I think this is an important project to fund, but not here.
What is stimulus, then?
Tax incentives on businesses. Easing the credit market so individuals and businesses can get loans again. Removal of toxic assets from the financial system and the ability to renegotiate debts so people can keep ther homes. Encouraging job growth, not generating temporary jobs in low-wage sectors only. This is a Global economic crisis, and the only way out is through smarter fiscal policy, not throwing more money at a bad system.
It doesn't help if the businesses are stimulated and no one can patronize them and it doesn't help if the credit market is stabilized but no one is left wanting to lend or borrow.
Also, the Mall project would not just benefit low-wage, temporary jobs. My father works for a large contractor currently with a couple projects in and around the mall so I'm sure they would win bids on new projects. He makes over 100K, his colleagues do as well. They have investments and would probably create more if they weren't scared of losing their jobs like a lot of them are.
"Tax incentives on businesses."
Those were in place long before the current crisis, and yet seemed to stall nothing. The Bush administration was one of the most business-friendly administrations this nation has ever seen.
"Easing the credit market so individuals and businesses can get loans again."
Been there, done that. Remember that $700 billion package that went through back in October? The one that promised to "open the spigots" and get money flowing again? Well, most of that money has been spent (on what, we don't know--but that new jet sure does look nice) and four months later the situation is worse. Forgive me for not buying the idea that this is largely a liquidity problem.
"Encouraging job growth, not generating temporary jobs in low-wage sectors only."
The package as passed contains both short- and long-term job growth stimuli; the problem in the here-and-now is that you can't simply snap your fingers and create jobs. Cutting taxes to the bone won't magically create jobs, but it will increase the deficit in a most significant manner. Some short-term job creation is necessary simply to get people back to work. Short-term and long-term is not an either/or proposition.
You contradicted yourself. It is true that these are not either-or propositions. That's why the problem remains despie action already being taken. Tax incentives were in place already? Which incentives? The one we need know, or the ones that seemed like a god idea 5 years ago? The stimulus has been spent? The money is largely out of the government's hands, but that doesn't mean the cash is gone. It is helping to stabilze banks, even if the goal of overall liquidity wasn't achieved. That's why I'm talking about the problems that need to be solved, not the relative success of previous efforts. But the overarching problem is the home mortgage crisis and the toxic investment assets that are weighing eveything down. Until you fix those problems, a few extra jobs isn't going to mke a lick of difference. What good does a job do when you can't get a loan fo a home or car, or a stable retirement fund to plan for the future? Short term is agood goal, but too much of this bill doesn't even go to the short term, but rather several years in the future. These activities should be addressed in future budgets, not this so-called stimulus package. The previous financial bailout at least was aimed at the right problem, even if the results were not adequate.
A smooth bass line and velvet sheets.
Of course this is stimulus. The National Mall is undeniably an important component of our tourism infrastructure, and tourism is huge part of the local economy.
To be fair, a lot of this money would not go for grass. The seawall around the Tidal Basin needs major repairs.
With all the other crap in this bill, at least funding the National Park Service goes to a core function of government. It's a shame that this became the poster child for "pork."
Good point, Ledroitist. The NPS is continously shafted, funding-wise. And the wall along the Potomac near the 14th St bridge and East Potomac Park/Hains Point has been disintegrating for a few years now. (Not sure if that is included in this money though.) Maybe when we are all wading through the mighty, crystal-clear waters of the Potomac the politicos will care.
Anybody who takes Metro or crosses the 14th Street Bridge ought to be concerned about that disintegrating wall. What's stopping the Metro/95 bridges from going underwater with the rest of Hains Point?
Anyway, they could generate $200 million easy with a tax on dog glamour photography. That $h!t is going to be big! Gabby Hayes big!
I second the idea for corn (or maize if you want to be an ass about it). Mash liquor for everybody! If that does not pan out, I recommend the National Park Service go door-to-door selling M&M's, wrapping paper, popcorn and subscriptions to Grit Magazine. That made a lot of $$$ for my Boy Scout Troop so we could go to Disney World.
Not only that, but corn cobs make a dandy substitute for toilet paper. They're eco-friendly, can be used for fuel, and help reduce our Nation's carbon footprint.
Now, about turning the Hirschorn Gallery into the World's Bigges Composting Toilet. Can we start by shredding all the Morris Louis paintings?
Do the people blaming the Republicans for this provision being removed from the bill realize that only 4 of the 13 seats on the Rules Committee (where this happened) are Republican and that the final Rules Committee vote on this amendment was 9-2 in favor of removing the National Mall and other provisions?
In other words, more Democrats then Republicans on the Rules Committee voted to kill the $200 million for the Mall.
You could raise the $200m in one summer by levying a $5 fine for wearing a fanny pack or standing to the left on a Metro escalator. Done and done.